Police arrest 30, call them street-level heroin dealers

By MARK HAYWARDNew Hampshire Union Leader

MANCHESTER — Police said they expect a significant but short-lived dent in the city narcotics trade after sweeps both Wednesday and Thursday netted 30 people, nearly all of them described as street-level dealers of heroin.

.Police Chief David Mara announced the arrests along with representatives of federal and Hillsborough County law enforcement agencies. Two people were arrested Wednesday when police executed a search warrant at the third-floor apartment at 421 Hevey St. A follow up arrest took place Wednesday, and then at least 27 were placed into custody starting at 5 a.m. this morning...Today's effort, Operation Clean Sweep, involved eight separate arrest teams with a list of 34 names...During a press conference, Mara said police are invigorating an effort to target street-level dealers who are often users themselves..."We are attacking the most visible part of the durg problem," Mara said...Sixty grams of heroin were confiscated in Wednesday's arrests, and Mara said the effort should have a short-term effect on the availability of heroin in the city..."But there are always other people to fill that void," Mara said...He said the effort involved street-level dealers because drug addiction is the root of most of the thefts, robberies and burglaries in the city...